This application is in response to RFA-MD-06-002, "Establishing Comprehensive NCMHD Research Centers of Excellence (P60)." The applicant organization is the Johns Hopkins University with collaborations with Shaw University (a historically black college located in Raleigh, NC),Operation Reach Out South West -OROSW (a Baltimore-based community organization), and Nora, LLC (a minority owned Biotech Company based in Baltimore). Additionally, we will have collaborators from the intramural research program of the National Institute on Aging, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology of the Gerontology Research Center (based in Baltimore). We seek support to expand the work began under our EXPORT grant which was a collaborative project with Morgan State University. The outcomes of the MSU-JHU partnership are outlined in the "summary progress report." In addition to our research mission, we propose to continue our community health activities and research education training. The goals of the center are: 1) To conduct research that advances knowledge of the biological, behavioral and socio-environmental etiology of race disparities in health status; 2) To conduct research that advances knowledge of the determinants of race disparities in healthcare access, utilization, and quality of care; 3) To work with community-based partners to test interventions to improve health and health-related outcomes in our partner communities; 4) To enhance the capacity of student and faculty researchers interested in health disparities research;and faculty researchers interested in health disparities research;and 5) To serve as a coordinating center and catalyst for the advancement of research, and training related to health disparities at Johns Hopkins and elsewhere.